Guide to Making the Perfect BLT | Basics with Babish

bacon

🥗Healthier: turkey bacon

💰Cheaper: ham

Turkey bacon is lower in fat, while ham is often less expensive.

mayonnaise

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: sour cream

Greek yogurt offers a healthier option with similar creaminess.

Whisk together 400 grams of bread flour, 2 1/4 teaspoons of instant yeast, 25 grams of granulated sugar, 7 grams of kosher salt, and optionally 2 to 3 tablespoons of everything bagel seasoning until homogenous.

Combine 1/2 cup of hot tap water with 125 grams of cold milk, aiming for a temperature of 90 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Melt 50 grams of unsalted butter on the stovetop until just melted, not boiling.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix gently by hand until a shaggy dough forms, kneading slightly to eliminate dry patches.

Cover the bowl with a moist towel and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, uncover the bowl and perform the lift and fold method by grabbing the dough by a corner and folding it towards the center, rotating and repeating for about 8 to 10 folds.

Gather the dough and place it seam side down back in the bowl, cover, and let it rest for another 15 minutes before repeating the lift and fold process.

Repeat the lift and fold process a total of four times, ensuring the dough develops enough gluten to pass the window pane test.

After the final fold, let the dough rest for another 15 to 20 minutes before shaping it into a loaf.

Pat and stretch the dough into a rectangle, ensuring the width matches the loaf pan.

Roll the dough lengthwise into a tight log, pressing and sealing as you go, and pinching the seam shut underneath.

Grease a 9 x 5 aluminum loaf pan generously with oil.

Place the dough seam side down in the greased loaf pan, squeezing it to fit if necessary.

Cover the pan with oiled plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let it rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Brush the risen loaf with melted butter and make three diagonal slashes or one long slash on top.

Bake in the oven for 20 to 35 minutes, rotating halfway through, until golden brown and it sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom.

Brush the hot loaf with more melted butter for a burnished surface.

Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before turning it out to cool on a rack for at least four hours, ideally overnight, before slicing.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens